Observation/Reflection #5 - How Do We Stop This Thing?
Observations:
This observation is a collaboration of numerous observations, since the nature of the question ("How do we stop this thing?") causes me to want to compare between more than one class, and find the best and worst of what I've witnessed.
I found that within one of the classrooms that I am observing, there seems to be a great struggle in ending the class on time. Reflecting back upon previous classes, I found that his method of ending the class has no set routine, where sometimes there is a project to be left for tomorrow or as homework, or he is cut off by the bell in mid-sentence. The students are not quite poised to leave class (they're usually engaged and involved within the class's activities), so it is not as if he is boring them to death! On the opposite I have only observed one class where there is "dead time", when there is an empty space at the end of the class where there is no instruction or activities. This particular class day had "dead time" I believe because there was a fire drill perhaps fifteen minutes into class, leaving about ten minutes left of class to pull out a controversial topic from his blog. (He keeps it for the class, and enjoys writing about scientific discoveries and recent collisions of politics and science.link!) Another day that had to be pulled out of the air, due to a mis-scheduled lab, he read "The Lorax" by Dr. Seuss, and related it to current issues on global warming, and how we need to take care of our earth. The discussion that followed this reading was great, and all of the kids were engaged!
There have been days however, when he does finish the lesson on time. At these times, he ends the class with a quick review of what they have done during the day. He walk through his class' rows of desks, and ask them probing questions about the lesson. For example, if the lesson was on mitosis, he would ask "Where in your skin would you be likely to find mitotically active cells? On the outside of your skin? Or on the inside?" In this way, he can monitor exactly how much of the material the students understand at the end of the day's lesson.
I realize however that when I observe this particular class, I attend on Wednesdays. Wednesdays at this school happen to start a bit later for the students, as the teachers have what is called "common planning time" in the mornings until 8:20ish, so coincidentally the class periods are shorter; which my CT sometimes forgets about, and is thereby cut short.
Reflections:
In watching between my two classes, I have found that ending a class on time is a skill that needs to be learned, and can only be learned with practice.
The particular CT that I wrote about above has had much experience teaching, and therefore is truly skilled in efficiently ending a class.
I have found however, that ending a class will be somewhat difficult for me at first. I am used to teaching campers, or small groups of people, where the time frame is not a concrete object, as is often the case in a classroom. However, I will try to use some of the better techniques that I have seen; and also be watchful of the time left.
One technique that I liked was the end-of-class-recapitulation. I would like to probe-question my students at the end of class about the particular day's lesson/lab, and perhaps ask for some kind of artifact for those students who are a bit shyer.
I have seen something called an "exit slip", where students write about the day's class, leave questions, comments, or other notes about the class, which they hand in at the end of the day.
Perhaps I could provide a promt for them to write a few sentences on, in a journal, and leave in the classroom so that I could review it at the end of the day; and they could review it as well to see how much they've learned. In this mini-journal, students could also write randomly throughout the day, if they have a question outside of class and would like it to be answered, but are afraid of forgetting it; so I could certainly get back to each student without having numerous questions (weed out the silly from the meaningful) clogging up in a pile of sticky notes. In these manners, I hope to also assess an entire class' comprehension of a particular concept.
Observation/Reflection #5 - How Do We Stop This Thing?
Observations:
This observation is a collaboration of numerous observations, since the nature of the question ("How do we stop this thing?") causes me to want to compare between more than one class, and find the best and worst of what I've witnessed.I found that within one of the classrooms that I am observing, there seems to be a great struggle in ending the class on time. Reflecting back upon previous classes, I found that his method of ending the class has no set routine, where sometimes there is a project to be left for tomorrow or as homework, or he is cut off by the bell in mid-sentence. The students are not quite poised to leave class (they're usually engaged and involved within the class's activities), so it is not as if he is boring them to death! On the opposite I have only observed one class where there is "dead time", when there is an empty space at the end of the class where there is no instruction or activities. This particular class day had "dead time" I believe because there was a fire drill perhaps fifteen minutes into class, leaving about ten minutes left of class to pull out a controversial topic from his blog. (He keeps it for the class, and enjoys writing about scientific discoveries and recent collisions of politics and science.link!) Another day that had to be pulled out of the air, due to a mis-scheduled lab, he read "The Lorax" by Dr. Seuss, and related it to current issues on global warming, and how we need to take care of our earth. The discussion that followed this reading was great, and all of the kids were engaged!
There have been days however, when he does finish the lesson on time. At these times, he ends the class with a quick review of what they have done during the day. He walk through his class' rows of desks, and ask them probing questions about the lesson. For example, if the lesson was on mitosis, he would ask "Where in your skin would you be likely to find mitotically active cells? On the outside of your skin? Or on the inside?" In this way, he can monitor exactly how much of the material the students understand at the end of the day's lesson.
I realize however that when I observe this particular class, I attend on Wednesdays. Wednesdays at this school happen to start a bit later for the students, as the teachers have what is called "common planning time" in the mornings until 8:20ish, so coincidentally the class periods are shorter; which my CT sometimes forgets about, and is thereby cut short.
Reflections:
In watching between my two classes, I have found that ending a class on time is a skill that needs to be learned, and can only be learned with practice.The particular CT that I wrote about above has had much experience teaching, and therefore is truly skilled in efficiently ending a class.
I have found however, that ending a class will be somewhat difficult for me at first. I am used to teaching campers, or small groups of people, where the time frame is not a concrete object, as is often the case in a classroom. However, I will try to use some of the better techniques that I have seen; and also be watchful of the time left.
One technique that I liked was the end-of-class-recapitulation. I would like to probe-question my students at the end of class about the particular day's lesson/lab, and perhaps ask for some kind of artifact for those students who are a bit shyer.
I have seen something called an "exit slip", where students write about the day's class, leave questions, comments, or other notes about the class, which they hand in at the end of the day.
Perhaps I could provide a promt for them to write a few sentences on, in a journal, and leave in the classroom so that I could review it at the end of the day; and they could review it as well to see how much they've learned. In this mini-journal, students could also write randomly throughout the day, if they have a question outside of class and would like it to be answered, but are afraid of forgetting it; so I could certainly get back to each student without having numerous questions (weed out the silly from the meaningful) clogging up in a pile of sticky notes. In these manners, I hope to also assess an entire class' comprehension of a particular concept.
Class Topic: Biology (Cells, mitosis/meiosis)
Grade: 10
Observed by: Lauren Paetznick